MARVELOUS MARIA: Both players showed some nerves, but Maria Sharapova was more consistent, making less unforced errors than her Serbian opponent Ana Ivanova
When Maria Sharapova walked on court for the Australian Open final, she kept thinking about the sage advice of another champion.

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Best friends and doubles partners Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram became the first Israeli pairing to win a Grand Slam title when they outlasted Frenchmen Michael Llodra and Arnaud Clement at the Australian Open yesterday.

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Superstar Didier Drogba scored the opening goal as Ivory Coast overwhelmed Benin 4-1 on Friday in their Africa Cup of Nations Group B match.

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Mali edged closer to the last eight of the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday when they held Nigeria to a goalless draw in a crucial Group B match.

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Australian opener Matthew Hayden said Adam Gilchrist was one of the greatest players the game had ever seen after the wicketkeeper-batsman announced his retirement yesterday.

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LAST GASP: Shawn Marion scored his only field goal with 1.1 seconds left to win it for the Suns, while in Boston the Celtics struggled to put away the Timberwolves
Shawn Marion dropped in his only field goal of the game with 1.1 seconds left as the Phoenix Suns edged the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-108 in the NBA on Friday.

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Mongolian grand champion Hakuho defeated Kotomitsuki yesterday and will face compatriot Asashoryu today in a rare final day showdown for the title at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

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By Paul Huang
Failure to secure a key defensive rebound late in the game denied Bank of Taiwan the chance to force a tie as they fell to the Dacin Tigers 66-70 at the Taipei County Sports Complex on Friday evening.

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By Shelley Shan
When the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA, 中華籃協) fined Taiwan Beer coach Yen Jia-hua (閻家驊) NT$100,000 (US$3,030) for attacking a referee earlier this month, the nation's basketball fans also expressed their disapproval at Yen's behavior in an online forum.

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OLIVE BRANCH: George Hicks and George Gillet will hope that the prospect of a new stadium and a stronger squad will placate the Reds' fans increasing hostility
Liverpool's US owners moved on Friday to end the crisis engulfing the club by offering strong backing to manager Rafael Benitez and announcing a refinancing that will release funds for new players and a 71,000-capacity stadium.

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Three-time defending champion Tiger Woods fired a seven-under 65 on Friday to open a four-shot lead at the US$5.2 million PGA Buick Invitational.

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Troubled jockey Kieren Fallon vowed on Friday to appeal an 18-month ban handed down by French authorities after he tested positive for a banned substance following a race at Deauville last August.

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HARD TO HIT: The South African all-rounder bowled a miserly opening spell of seven overs for 10 runs to put the West Indies on the back foot, chasing 266 to win
Shaun Pollock said he felt as though he was on "cloud nine" as he produced a bowling masterclass to propel South Africa to a resounding 86-run win in the second one-day international against the West Indies at Newlands on Friday.

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Australia and New Zealand's rugby union teams are set to play each other in a historic one-off Test in Hong Kong, the first on neutral turf outside a World Cup, a report said yesterday.

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Swede Johan Edfors shot a scintillating six under par 66 to take a two-shot lead going into the third round at the US$2.5 million Qatar Masters on Friday.

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■ LUGE

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■ ENGLAND

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